A Man on the Inside by Michael Schur starts promisingly thanks to a special premise and a starring role by Ted Danson. Michael Schur knows how to turn every conceivable workplace into a sharp comedy series. Whether it is a municipal office, a police station or the administration of the afterlife. In his latest project A Man on the Inside, loosely based on a true story, he focuses on a senior complex.
Retired widower Charles (Ted Danson, The Good Place) has lost the joy of life. When his daughter challenges him to find a passion again, he comes across a message from private investigator Julie (Lilah Richcreek Estrada, Chicago Med). She is investigating a stolen necklace in a senior apartment and needs a spy in the building. Charles goes undercover as a new resident to find out who could have stolen the necklace.
Elderly people solving crimes remains a nice starting point
Put Ted Danson somewhere and you know it can be a success. That is also the case here. Although he has played many roles in recent years that are somewhat similar, he always does it at his best. This is also the case in A Man on the Inside. He knows how to handle all kinds of jokes about old age, dealing with technology and playing the role of a spy. His training as a spy in particular, whether it involves taking photos unobtrusively or casually interrogating people, leads to quite a bit of hilarity in this episode. A comparison with Only Murders in the Building is not far away, but is that bad? Not as far as I'm concerned.
Ted Danson and the other actors do very well
In addition to Danson, Lilah Richcreek Estrada is also fun as detective Julie. Mary Elizabeth Ellis (Santa Clarita Diet), who plays Charles' daughter Emily, also does well. There are also a number of actors from previous series by Michael Schur, which makes for a feast of recognition. In addition to Danson, we also see Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Marc Evan Jackson (The Good Place) and Eugene Cordero (the only actor who had a role in The Office, Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and The Good Place ).
The first episode is still an introduction and only at the end do we see how Charles actually moves in to start the job. We haven't seen much of the senior complex itself and the colorful collection of residents. However, the few scenes that take place here do make you very curious about the rest.
A Man on the Inside starts off very nicely. The idea of older people solving crimes is something we often see in series (Only Murders in the Building, New Tricks), but thanks to the witty jokes and Ted Danson's leading role, this is pleasant to watch. This season consists of eight episodes of about half an hour, so you will go through it quickly. In any case, I am very curious about it and will certainly continue with the rest.
Another series I would have missed if there hadn't been a review here. I've seen the first four episodes now and they are just as good, if not better, than the first. It's also nice that Gloria, from All in the Family, aka Sally Struthers, makes an appearance here with a very funny role.
It's also nice that Gloria, from All in the Family, aka Sally Struthers, makes an appearance here with a very funny role.
So thanks again, Hessel!